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Seize the moment: Paulinho proved his talent in the Confederations Cup (Picture: AFP/Getty)

Tottenham new boy Paulinho is expected in London this week to complete the formalities of his £17million move from Corinthians. A star of Brazil’s Confederations Cup triumph, what else do we know about the Samba Spur (sorry).

Small, but not shortPaulinho presumably had a growth spurt after gaining his nickname – at 5ft11″ he’s far from a shorty and offers an aerial threat from set-pieces.

City joy: Paulinho celebrates a goal for Corinthians against Santos back in May (Picture: AFP/Getty)

Local boy done goodBorn and bred in Sao Paulo, Paulinho started out at Bragantino, one of the city’s smaller clubs, but quickly caught the eye of big boys Corinthians.

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Silver serviceIn three years with Corinthians Paulinho became a key cog in a successful team, winning the Brazilian title (2011) and the Copa Libertadores – south America’s Champions League (2012). Last December he was part of the side which saw off Chelsea in the final of the Club World Cup in Japan.

Fans’ favouriteAn all-action, box-to-box midfielder, the 24-year-old was a big hit with Corinthians fans. His cult status was helped by a late winner in the Copa Libertadores quarter-final clash with Brazilian rivals Vasco da Gama last year.

Spirit of the samuraiAhead of the trip to Japan for the Club World Cup – a huge deal in Japan – the local O Globo paper portrayed the entire Corinthians squad as samurai, complete with their own samurai names. Paulinho’s moniker? Persistencia (you can do the translation).

Timing is everythingTottenham’s interest was firm before the Confederations Cup, which is just as well. The tournament saw Paulinho cement his place in an emerging team. Including the warm-up games, he scored three times, which means his last three Brazil goals have come in the last month. Real Madrid’s late interest must have been tempting, but Spurs appear to have been rewarded for their own persistence.